The Problem With Not Caring What Other People Think

From my most recent post at The Blazing Center:

Everyone wishes we could be that one person who really doesn’t care what anybody else thinks. “I don’t care what anybody thinks” is a sentiment that is lauded. The care free, do-whatever-I-want mentality strikes jealousy in our hearts. It exudes freedom and a certain “above it all” quality we long for because expectations and pleasing others is so burdensome and self-defining.

Nobody doesn’t care about what other people think. That’s a farce. “I don’t care what people think” is just another impression people try to give so that they look carefree. What they really mean is “I hope I look to other people like I really don’t care what they think . . . because I really care what they think.”

If someone manages to not care what others think they’re usually pretty much a jerk. If you don’t care what other people think you likely care far too much about what you think of yourself. Your own proclamations and opinions become far too impressive in your own mind. If you only care what you think you only seek to impress you, everyone else be damned.

There is a fine line between caring too much and too little what people think.